tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-96057072011-11-24T05:16:17.945-05:00We are the sum total of our own individual experiences. As a result, everything we think, say, and interpret is tainted. While we may try to offer objective "facts", these facts are arranged and presented through the prism of our own experiences. As such every memory we recall, every event we interpret is our own subjective perspective of the truth.Onigirimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959873888827504381noreply@blogger.comBlogger9531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-84677619077145072732009-07-21T03:27:00.002-04:002009-07-21T11:07:17.230-04:00

For the past year and a half, there has been a steady stream of J-doramas focusing on special police forces and terrorism: Special Police, Koushounin, Kiina, Bloody Monday, BOSS, Mr. Brain. They were interesting at first, but they started to get into a rut. By the time they got to Mr. Brain with KimuTaku of SMAP fame, I was getting tired of all their tech gadgets and super intelligent heroes.

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-54664915089691732692009-07-19T14:36:00.001-04:002009-07-19T14:36:36.667-04:00

God love the Japanese. They come up with the craziest inventions, such as the Head Stabilizer for those who fall asleep on the train, or the Cuddle Pillow for the lonely among us. But I read that the toy company, Takara Tomy, is reintroducing its dog interpreter, the Bowlingual. This contraption claims to analyze a dog's bark and interpret its emotional state. This is rather ridiculous, as it

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-46706016103814214712009-07-04T14:50:00.000-04:002009-07-19T14:50:58.247-04:00

Happy Fourth of July!I was supposed to go to the National Mall with Musubichan to watch Barry Manilow and Aretha Franklin, but she changed our plans--I should feel lucky, actually. Instead we are having her friends over for a BBQ. While it means more work, it also means less walking around the Mall, which can be quite strenuous.And, of course, less Mandy, too.

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-1282407395245635012009-06-30T14:49:00.000-04:002009-07-19T14:50:02.973-04:00

Wow, I haven't been here in about three months. This is not a good thing as this is THE place where I keep up my writing skills, meager as they are...Anyway, I've come to realize that I must have an eating disorder with regard to timing. Last night at dinner, I was eating some stir-fried that Musubichan cooked up. It was good and I was hungry, so I was eating rather vigorously. I am pretty

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-1003244508948156832009-03-15T14:47:00.000-04:002009-07-19T14:48:26.939-04:00

I am still adjusting to tweeting on Twitter. Most seem to write about their everyday life--I going to lunch, I worked out today, I'm meeting a friend for drinks tonight. I started to do something similar, but I am unsure if other people want to know or even care about the minutiae of my everyday life. So instead I've been tweeting things that don't necessarily deal with specific activities of my

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-77102783722777045682009-03-10T14:48:00.000-04:002009-07-19T14:49:11.937-04:00

My thoughts for today:Dear Mr. President. Hah! So there! UCLA 65, VCU 64... okay, so it was close...I am even more livid with AIG and the economic crisis after reading an article on Rolling Stone Magazine that outlines how it started, how we got here, what the mind set of Wall Street is, and ultimately how screwed we all are. Must read The Big Takeover.Today is the Vernal Equinox--actually it was

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-50642160898507823782009-03-02T20:16:00.000-05:002009-03-07T20:19:35.036-05:00

I had heard of Twitter quite a while ago when the people at RBJ began tweeting--I think that's the verb--with each other. I resisted. I swore that I have enough sites to my name at places like Blogger, Hotmail, Aim, RBJ, LiveJournal, Wordpress, Nutang, CafePress (yes! buy Onigiriman goods!), Flickr, Shutterfly, YouTube, MySpace, Flickster, Technorati, just to name a few. (Just so you know, I

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-81055144572432972902009-02-25T02:02:00.001-05:002009-02-25T02:05:24.431-05:00

It is customary for a president to be seated for a year before he gives a State of the Union Address, so Obama's speech last night was not really a State of the Union. Even though the talking heads on TV treated it as such--my poison is MSNBC--it wasn't. It was more like the Hopeful State of the Union, the way Obama envisions how his stimulus package will work out when implemented. There were a

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-67877199844616635302009-02-17T14:52:00.000-05:002009-07-19T14:53:20.360-04:00

There's this list going around Facebook and I've been tagged a couple of times to do it. It's been awhile since I've done a list so I thought I'd comply. Many may already know the contents of the list below, but I will try to include new facts without being too gross."Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end,

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-88959791823147062182009-02-04T14:47:00.001-05:002009-02-05T00:13:23.288-05:00

When speaking Japanese, non-native speakers need to remember to be polite.Most languages have at last two levels of speech. In general, they are formal and informal. In the US, this is especially true in business. You call people Mister, unless told otherwise. You speak and act politely, unless you become very familiar with your superior. Do you slap you boss's back and tell him "Good job, dude"?

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-76300912904400873892008-12-27T14:54:00.000-05:002009-07-19T14:59:43.429-04:00

It's been a pretty interesting year with a cat-and-dog Democratic primary with Hilary and Barack, the ultimate election of Obama, $4 gasoline that fell to under $2 in the blink of an eye, and an economic disaster brought on by deregulators like McCain (economy is fundamentally sound) and his economic adviser Phil Gramm (nation of whiners). I'm not sure I could have guessed in January that we'd be

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-51092771206355920712008-12-24T14:55:00.000-05:002009-07-19T14:55:33.267-04:00

Yesterday was the only day I go to school this week and next, and guess what? I get a package. There's no one on campus, no one in the department, except me."It's either work or an important Christmas card," I tell Mr. Fedex. "It's from a CB," the delivery dude said and looked at me in anticipation. Aaah, CB. A former student who graduated a year ago. She's was as cute as a button, and as sharp

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-76580155691882676442008-12-15T14:56:00.000-05:002009-07-19T14:56:49.407-04:00

"Takes a licking but keeps on ticking."That's how an old Timex commercial went after abusing the watch by placing it in a stram of water, or run over by a car. I think they had an elephant step on it once, although it actually broke. Hahahah. Well, after this semester, with all the extra work as coordinator, but the same heavy teaching load, I'm beat. Like that Timex watch, I too took a licking,

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-41881118021292974312008-12-06T14:57:00.000-05:002009-07-19T14:57:44.497-04:00

Next Fall semester, I have an extra slot to teach.... ha! Like I need another course to teach! So I've submitted the following proposal for the Dean's seminar to teach a course on The Tale of Genji.Genji, the Shining Prince, was not just about a dilettante and playboy, although I can understand such comments by students in a survey course of Japanese literature. But when a student compares this

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-76212388379682194112008-11-04T14:58:00.000-05:002009-07-19T14:58:27.701-04:00

The talking heads on TV keep talking about how this is going to be record voter turnout. So I woke up early and headed for the polls at 5:45 AM... and there was a line...But it wasn't too bad of a line. The polls opened at 6 AM and I cast my vote at 6:50, fulfilling my civic duty.While I was standing in line there was a stout lady in front of me. She said she was from New York and she certainly

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-90730309075661613572008-11-03T14:58:00.000-05:002009-07-19T14:59:13.628-04:00

Keep in mind that you should vote. There was a time when many people I knew said they thought their vote didn't count anyway. "I'm only one vote. What's the dif?" Well, it's a big "dif". If everyone said that, no one would vote. It is you right and your obligation. I don't care who you vote for, or who you support. But the person who goes to the White House will determine the way our future plays

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-80726634336461746962008-11-02T17:22:00.000-05:002009-07-19T17:23:03.220-04:00

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-48198693330377131042008-10-01T17:23:00.000-04:002009-07-19T17:23:44.023-04:00

I wake up today and find out that Wachovia has melted down. I don't want to get too graphic, but I swear, I thought I'd find bricks in my underpants. WTF is going on? I mean, I have a CD in Wachovia, not a big one, mind you. I am a man of modest means, but geez, do the freakin' fat cats exemplified by those on Wall Street and in the current administration have to take this away from me, too? By

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-32916898210611907832008-09-27T17:23:00.000-04:002009-07-19T17:24:28.505-04:00

This semester has been hectic. My colleague has been reassigned and most of the work the we had divided between the two of us has been placed in my lap. It's the end of the 4th week, and I can't wait 'til Christmas. But then, I always say that around the 4th week.Anyway, this weekend was Alumni Weekend at our school. I started this Friday participating in a workshop on the issues of teaching

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-18744369256952159612008-09-03T17:24:00.000-04:002009-07-19T17:25:24.236-04:00

Wow, I can't believe I got over 400 views on my last post. I guess there are a lot of people concerned about the issue.For that past few weeks, I've been catching up on stuff I have to do to prepare for the new academic year. Now, school has started and I find myself swamped as usual. Actually, more so. The program director was reassigned to duty at our language lab as acting director, leaving me

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-53537032475782324642008-08-18T17:25:00.000-04:002009-07-19T17:26:28.077-04:00

The furor caused by the Spanish basketball team is not nearly big enough, as far as I'm concerned. That a National team can pose for an advertisement and joke about their appearance in the Beijing Olympic by making slanty eyes is incredulous.I first heard that they said it was a joke. One of their players said it was a playful "wink" at their hosts. Indeed, he thought it was "appropriate" and an

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-40062665681522079362008-08-11T17:26:00.000-04:002009-07-19T17:27:19.678-04:00

The Olympics in Beijing started on a very sad note. The father of a former US Olympian was killed at a tourist spot in Beijing on the first day of competition by some homeless guy. I heard someone say on TV that, according to interviews with foreign residents who have lived in China for a few years, the Chinese government had ramped up the nationalism rhetoric leading up to the Olympics, framing

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-14788727199754331492008-08-07T20:52:00.001-04:002008-08-07T20:52:39.198-04:00

As I grow older, I can no longer do what I used to do. DUH!There was a time when I would fast for a day and drop a few pounds. I would run a bit and work out a bit and lose another pound. But no more. Not after the big Five-Oh. I swear it is all downhill after that. You young whipper-snappers should make sure you stay fit now. Or if you're not, get fit while you can. I remember it getting hard

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-23127191463246480602008-08-01T05:26:00.001-04:002008-08-01T05:26:41.133-04:00

I don't really remember the dream except for that I was running away and I began to stumble. The next thing I knew, I was falling and bumped my knee on the floor next to my bed. It was early morning and M, who was already awake and brushing her teeth, was surprised by the sound and ran in from the bathroom."What happened? Are you okay?" "Yeah," I said dazed still holding onto the stand of the

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-84918908784361126922008-07-30T14:15:00.000-04:002008-07-30T14:16:12.584-04:00

Yesterday, the LA area was hit by an earthquake. I haven't experienced one in a long time, and the 5.4 magnitude would seem to be strong enough to scare many, but it wouldn't cause much damage except to old structures and outdated infrastructure. Indeed, except for the items falling off store shelves, the damage I saw on TV was mostly limited to old unreinforced brick walls and the water lines in

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-71067362257522273612008-07-30T03:07:00.002-04:002008-07-30T03:08:26.721-04:00

Just a reminder to those who live near me: This weekend is Virginia's Back to School Sales Tax Holiday. It is three days designated for residences--and visitors, I would presume--to purchase Back to School necessities tax free.The Commonwealth of Virginia enacted in 2007 a Sales Tax Holiday to help residents--like me--who need certain items for specific contingencies--like me--but need a little

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-91940891267525617312008-07-27T05:50:00.001-04:002008-07-27T06:21:26.444-04:00

Back in 1972, my grandparents informed my mother that they were willing to have me come to Japan for the first time in an attempt to nurture a relationship that was on again, off again, due to the physical distance between us. Back in the 1970s, going to and from Japan was not an inexpensive journey, and my siblings and I rarely saw our grandparents. In fact, the first and only time I had seen

Onigirimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959873888827504381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-5619439025721008992008-07-25T16:46:00.000-04:002008-07-25T16:47:22.418-04:00

Have you ever encountered someone you haven't seen in a while at the most unexpected place? When M came home from Japan last month, she ran into the grandmother of one of students/clients at Narita airport. Actually, she didn't really run into her. M had forgotten to fill out some kind of form for the ANA and they had been paging her throughout the airport. Apparently the grandmother heard the

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-67699447617299118112008-07-24T14:39:00.002-04:002008-07-24T14:39:54.288-04:00

Given the content of the previous post, I can't figure out why I rented the DVD, Ratatouille. It's a Pixar animation about a rat that finds his way from the countryside to the City of Lights and becomes--get this--a chef at a famous restaurant. Ugh. Rats shit where they eat, and this one is cooking in the restaurant? There are a couple of scenes when there were dozens of rats in one shot crawling

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-43960593470150009112008-07-21T17:23:00.001-04:002008-07-22T12:25:25.677-04:00

Living in Northern Virginia, in a suburb of Washington DC, has it good side and it's bad. It is, to be a sure, beautiful country. When I first visited DC, I came on a business trip from Japan. I had imagined Virginia as a rural land of tobacco, plantations and a bunch of hayseeds. Boy, was I ever wrong. The taxi ride from Dulles International to the city revealed a country that was quite arboreal

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-89405701973976655502008-07-20T04:11:00.000-04:002008-07-21T04:12:24.431-04:00

I went to campus recently and experienced again something I wrote about previously. I was going to provide a link but couldn't find the original post on Xanga. Then I remembered that I posted it elsewhere when I had gone on hiatus due to some issues that arose about my online identity. Technically, it is not a Xanga "repost", but it's still a rerun as I'm sure some of you may have read it

Onigirimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959873888827504381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-56262633424224702372008-07-18T17:11:00.001-04:002008-07-18T17:11:57.929-04:00

There's a summer reality show on ABC on Tuesday evenings called, I Survived a Japanese Game Show. I was looking forward to watching this, but as usual I forgot about it. Fortunately I was able to watch the full episodes online. It's a show where contestants go to Japan and participate in a Japanese-like game show, competing in teams to do ridiculous stunts for the chance to win $250,000. The

Onigirimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959873888827504381noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-59258838191668638042008-07-16T22:00:00.000-04:002008-07-16T22:01:16.525-04:00

The other day, I wrote about my my eye surgery when I was in Japan. The Greatest_Pip left a comment that suggested that he thought my English was pretty good for a guy who had been in the US for 12 years--since 1996. Haha, I'd like to take a bow, but I had to tell him that basically my English is as good as anyone who was born, raised and educated in the US. Which elicited the following:Wow,

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-69998385201099670082008-07-14T20:29:00.014-04:002008-07-15T05:04:22.444-04:00

Paul, David, Dennis, Steven, Kevin, Bill, Richard. These are nice All-American names. Indeed, these are the names of my classmates as I was growing up in LA in the 1960s at a Japanese missionary school where all the students had an ethnic make up of at least one-quarter Japanese. While illegal--and immoral--by today's standards, up until the 70s, restricting admission based on race was not an

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-40417801410878493642008-07-13T04:33:00.000-04:002008-07-13T04:34:26.576-04:00

In the previous post, I had a little fun at the expense of an innocent passerby--I do not assign any ulterior motive to his actions. Well, in the interest of fairness and openness, I should reveal that I too have had my own embarrassing moments when I did not realize with whom I was speaking.A few years ago, I wrote about bathing at onsen, Japanese hot springs, and SammyStorm left a comment about

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-80731931163672194892008-07-10T20:12:00.000-04:002008-07-10T20:13:14.538-04:00

I just read a post by California Gal about her son. She posted a photo of her son and asked if he looked like a girl. He's a cute looking kid but still looks like a boy to me. But then, maybe non-Asians can't readily see the gender difference in Asians? They need other cues like clothing, cosmetics, or voice. This reminded me of an embarrassed look I received a few months back.It was February in

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-39041596113829754742008-07-08T05:05:00.000-04:002008-07-08T05:07:33.613-04:00

I have this incurable habit of going off on a tangent. Many of my students know this and seem to gleefully lead me astray in class with unrelated questions to minimize actual study time. I want to say that I realize what they're doing but allow them to do so anyway as way to give them an academic break and relieve the day-in and day-out stress of college life just a bit. Unfortunately, the

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-23196822488728234242008-07-05T05:07:00.000-04:002008-07-08T05:08:25.854-04:00

Okay, in the interest of honesty, I must confess. I chickened out. I didn't go to the National Mall. The weather.com forecast and my past experiences told me to stay home and watch TV. Yes, M expressed her, um... disappointment. and I kept a nervous eye on the dry sidewalk all afternoon. *gulp*Thankfully, around 5:30 PM, a half hour before the scheduled concert, it began to rain steadily. It

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-32828668858524450172008-07-04T00:52:00.002-04:002008-07-04T12:42:01.670-04:00

Today is the 232nd year of our nation, the 232nd year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I kinda pre-celebrated by watching the HBO special John Adams. I don't get HBO but it went to DVD a couple of weeks ago and I devoured all seven hour long episodes in a few days. I thought it was very good, although I have to admit to being a bit of a fan of historical movies, and I mean

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-60607312789655675932008-06-30T12:58:00.002-04:002008-07-08T05:11:09.651-04:00

A couple of comments asked about the corneal scar I mentioned in my last post. Well, it isn't as dramatic as Onigiri might imagine--no, I did not get stabbed in the eye like your cousin. Whew! Now that would be a story to tell. My story is much more mundane, but the effects of this "malady" are much more amusing... well as amusing as a handicap can be.My memory is not perfect, as my regular

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-20026071421951729452008-06-29T22:02:00.001-04:002008-06-29T22:02:42.492-04:00

I took the "how much do you now about dragon ball z and dragon ball gt" quiz and I totally bombed it. I got 42% out of 100. Of course, I didn't review the material before taking the quiz, but I didn't think I had to. Let this be a lesson to all my students: Always review, regardless of how much you think you know.Anyway, Dragon Ball was one of my favorite manga. It started to drag on a bit

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-88498630679902160742008-06-27T04:22:00.001-04:002008-06-27T10:49:33.494-04:00

M's home. I'm so happy, I kept playing Ayaka's song, Okaeri, in my head all day long.Okaeri by Ayaka is the theme song for the J-drama Zettai kareshi.I spent all of Wednesday cleaning the house, but I guess I had let the house go too long unattended. I didn't pass the white glove test. But I don't care. I'm still happy.Here's a list of stuff she got me.5 volumes of the Genji monogatari (Tale of

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-88747939202677498982008-06-25T12:34:00.001-04:002008-06-25T12:34:38.650-04:00

I haven't mentioned this, but for the past 5 weeks, M has been in Japan. Her mother was diagnosed with Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, a kind of lung cancer located in the small vessels of the lungs that function in the oxygenation of our blood (I think). Apparently it is most prevalent in nonsmokers, elderly women and Asians. This makes M's mother three for three, not the kind of batting average

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-40817167761526115792008-06-24T17:27:00.001-04:002008-06-24T17:27:53.775-04:00

Back in the '70s, my friends and I used to enjoy the comedy of George Carlin, who died of heart failure on Sunday, June 22. He was irreverent and represented a lot of what we thought back then.He started out as a coat and tie comedian in the '60s, appearing on such fair as The Ed Sullivan Show. He was not run-of-the-mill but he didn't really stand out either. One of the characters he would play

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-85626783857380428932008-06-20T05:36:00.000-04:002008-06-20T05:37:01.118-04:00

I have bad eye sight. I've mentioned this before, but I can only see out of my left eye--albeit with glasses or a contact lens. My right eye is legally blind. I have a scar on my cornea that prevents me from seeing anything with any clarity. If you taped wax paper on your glasses or sunglasses, you would see exactly as I do. And I mean exactly--since the scar is in the center of my cornea, my

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-12662047002747543762008-06-18T20:26:00.001-04:002008-06-18T20:26:45.621-04:00

The other day was Father's day, but I guess I have no standing as a father anymore. I occasionally e-mail my daughter in Japan, but she hasn't responded in over a year. I have't seen her since 1999--the last time I went to Japan--when she was 12 years old. Now she has graduated from a vocational school 専門学校, moved out of the house and is living in Tokyo with her friend, according to her mother.

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-57450600940921184682008-06-17T14:31:00.000-04:002008-06-18T02:32:36.802-04:00

I love tomatoes. So the current outbreak of salmonella is very disturbing. Then I heard what it is that spreads salmonella to the tomatoes: fecal matter. One possibility is that feces can be directly spread by animals when they step onto infected droppings, then tread through open fields. Indirectly, animal waste is used to create manure, and while most pathogens are killed through the composting

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-33953796553591186612008-06-14T17:48:00.000-04:002008-06-14T17:49:20.028-04:00

I wrote the other day abut how I love to watch these political shows. One of my favorites was Meet the Press on NBC Sunday mornings. During the 80s, I usually watched surfed between the shows on the three national broadcast networks--Face the Nation, This Week, and Meet the Press--but after I cam back from Japan in 1996, I watched Meet the Press exclusively because of the moderator, Tim

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-37318286736279175622008-06-13T12:56:00.000-04:002008-06-15T00:56:42.462-04:00

make your own logoAs many of you know, I am usually swamped with work--teaching, grading, advising. You probably also know that I am a J-drama addict. I am currently watching Zettai kareshi (Absolute boyfriend), Muri-na ren'ai (Impossible love), and Rookies (Rookies). There are a few others that the family wants to watch, so I get my hands on them so we can watch them but I don't really pay

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-19670528580034527662008-06-11T15:47:00.001-04:002008-06-11T15:47:31.279-04:00

It's been truly crazy weather of late. Tornados in the flatlands of middle America. Snow in the Rockies. Floods in the upper Midwest. Yesterday I jogged in the stifling heat--over 95 degrees. It's been at least 10 degrees higher than the seasonal average since Friday. But at least the heat isn't destructive, and as a SoCal boy, the heat is something I can deal with. I have learned to deal with

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-91577519160066422262008-06-11T04:37:00.000-04:002008-06-11T04:38:15.931-04:00

Holy moly! It's freakin' cookin' outside. It's 95 degrees, 45% humidity and feels like 102 according to weather.com. But I didn't need them to tell me. I feel like a roast cooking over a low heat. If it would only melt off the fat...Still, I went running outside for an hour. Well, more like walking and jogging a bit. I didn't want to kill myself. As I walked through the park, I saw an

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-53707692014227151202008-06-09T11:29:00.001-04:002008-06-09T11:41:34.457-04:00

It's been a long time since I've really written anything--mostly bitching about work. And when I have written anything, it's been pretty half-assed. For whatever reason, I just haven't been able to put my heart into it. Which would explain why I would easily get bored and stop writing.Not that anything I write now will be whole-hearted, of course. A lot of it is just a process, getting into the

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-90675842105756808372008-06-09T01:30:00.000-04:002008-06-09T11:31:31.890-04:00

Oh boy, now I really did it.I just figured out a way to make myself write more... I became a Lifetime Xanga member.Gulp...

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-69561693652266478492008-04-09T11:31:00.000-04:002008-06-09T11:32:14.120-04:00

Messy as usualI gotta stack of papers to grade: Midterms for Bungo (literary Japanese) from last week, and today's Lit class midterm. Well, it's the 12th week of the semester so its really a latter-term exam. I do this to bring relief to my students. They are usually drowning in study during the 7th through 10th week when every oher prof gives midterms. My students don't have to worry about me

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-55930119692960490382008-04-01T11:32:00.000-04:002008-06-09T11:33:01.278-04:00

Happy belatedNew Year!Man, have I been out of it or what? How is everyone?

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-86741549601717320422007-12-24T11:33:00.000-05:002008-06-09T11:33:43.659-04:00

Okay, according to some, this is not very politically correct, but I'm a psuedo-Christian--i.e. a Catholic who hasn't gone to church in ages and has a number of questions about some of the stuff the sisters force fed me in elementary school. Still, my core beliefs are similar enough to consider myself a Christian of sorts, and as a result, I still celebrate Christmas. It is, for me, the season of

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-17082985189956131802007-12-18T11:28:00.000-05:002008-06-09T11:29:42.648-04:00

Thanks for all the good wishes. Any birthday beyond the half-century mark needs all the happy wishes it can muster. Thanks to those of you who wished me well on FB, too. I am truly grateful.should i call u Onigiriman or Ray Kanzaki then?tanjfOn Xanga, I will always be Onigiriman, so please continue to call my Onigiriman.Sounds like a Street Fighter name.Street Fightin' Japanese literature

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-48818238894490952482007-12-14T11:28:00.000-05:002008-06-09T11:28:53.130-04:00

Classes have come to an end, and I now have finals to look forward to. One has already been graded, for the most part. The rest is of my exams are scheduled for next week, which means once again I will be grading until Christmas.Ugh!But that's life for a teacher... grading, grading, grading.Not much has been happening as of late, except for school. As the semester winds down, I get busier and

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-42429151954441615302007-11-29T11:27:00.000-05:002008-06-09T11:27:57.706-04:00

Man oh man oh man... no pun intended...School is almost out! Just one more week. Then I can look forward to grading finals and then doing research over the winter break. Whooppee!This semester has gone by soooooooooooooo fast, I can't believe it. Did someone speed up the space time continuum and forget to send me the memo? I swear, I thought Halloween was just a couple of weeks ago, and here we

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-49385381684733866362007-11-25T11:26:00.000-05:002008-06-09T11:27:07.330-04:00

Because it's so frackin' good.Saturday night, the SciFi channel aired Battlestar Galactica: Razor. This story is supposed to satiate us while we wait for the final season of BSG due sometime in 2008. But it backfired. This story did not satisfy me one iota. All it did was whet my appetite for more, MORE, MORE BSG. The show is so gritty, so on the edge that it is just too cool for TV.Warning! Mild

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-76424847371424736652007-11-22T11:25:00.000-05:002008-06-09T11:26:12.439-04:00

I'm tired, but I'm cooking... at least part of the meal. I am currently soaking the turkey in brine and I made the cranberry sauce a couple of hours ago. Oh yeah, I also made some Rice Crispie squares for the kids who will be visiting us for dinner.Anyway, have a good one everyone.

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-58984832301303881752007-11-21T11:24:00.000-05:002008-06-09T11:25:20.125-04:00

And here I thought I had caught up with all my workExcuse me while I prepare for next semester, even as I struggle to keep pace with this semester. I will be teaching J-Lit in Translation, as I always do, and am considering adding a few new books, so I will be listing books that I might consider. Just think of this post as me talking to myself. But please feel free to comment on any of the books

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-88498992600897828102007-11-13T11:23:00.000-05:002008-06-09T11:24:19.108-04:00

I met my third Xangan today, Sunjun. He actually goes to the school where I teach, and probably takes classes from people I know. o-mi-god! He had dropped by and left me a note quite a while ago--a year ago? Two? I forget. But we finally met. Hope he wasn't too disappointed. If I knew he was coming, I would have wrapped myself in nori seaweed so he'd recognize me right away. As it was, he pretty

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-21306569970363985102007-11-11T11:21:00.000-05:002008-06-09T11:23:36.170-04:00

There should be a law, or rule, or somekind of religious commandment that states you must be lazy and do nothing once a week. I've been grading all weekend long--Literary Japanese and J-Lit in Translation midterms. It hasn't been too bad, as I've come to appreciate the benefits of multiple choice questions. Much easier to grade. But I also have essay to grade--a literature class cn't be all

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-44525951849356515922007-11-09T11:20:00.000-05:002008-06-09T11:21:25.855-04:00

Talking behind someone's back is not very good form. But it would seem to me that talking in front of someone as if they weren't there is probably worse and pretty rude.Of course this is just my opinon.In a recent proseminar class, one of my students responded to a classmate during a discussion on "Differance" by Jacque Derrida, and referenced something I had just said by refering to me as "he".

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-71848468498809394882007-11-08T13:54:00.000-05:002007-11-09T13:54:55.317-05:00

There is just too much work. They should have an anti-over-worked-teacher law on the books. I am exhausted. I just finished grading the midterms for my readings in modern Japanese course. Today was the J-Lit in Translation midterm, so I have a brand new stack of exams and essays in front of me. And I just finished making the Literary Japanese midterm for tomorrow, which means another stack.Not

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-17105887252542678862007-11-04T13:53:00.000-05:002007-11-09T13:54:15.775-05:00

Recently, I wrote a bit about how English is difficult for many Japanese. I thought I'd respond to some of the (edited) comments I received. There are so many different shades of "fluent" that the more proficient I become at Japanese, the more I know what I actually don't know. If I were to just transplant myself and live here forever (Japan), I think I would need my wife to translate things for

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-55276772270573780652007-10-31T13:52:00.000-04:002007-11-09T13:53:31.536-05:00

Halloween's coming.Halloween's coming.Ghosts and goblins too...It happened again... I was talking to M the other night right before bed. We were ready to go to sleep, just nonchalantly standing in front of each other about a foot apart when suddenly I felt a chill sweep by my arms and the front of my body. Do you know how you feel a chill and get goose bumps when you suddenly see something

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-26051090766044187192007-10-30T13:52:00.000-04:002007-11-09T13:52:32.553-05:00

I went back to the original layout to test something out. Something strange is happening, and I'm wondering if it's this new fangled Xanga module layout thingy. Please bear with me.In the meantime, here is the first senru poem my ather published in a local LA Japanese newspaper called the Kashu Mainichi back in 1938. 無駄話だまって聞いてる無駄話Idle talklistens without a wordto idle talkThe poem reflects one

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-86825081666942947302007-10-28T13:51:00.000-04:002007-11-09T13:51:56.032-05:00

I was away from Xanga for quite a while. I mean, I would post every so often, when I had the time and was in the mood, but I it was just post and split--go back to work or to J-dorama or whatever. But I've been back now for about that past couple of weeks and I began to realize that Xanga has changed quite a bit. The new layout with modules makes it easier to set up a nice looking page, so I

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-37939603970031090652007-10-27T13:50:00.000-04:002007-11-09T13:51:05.252-05:00

But it's 4 AM and if I ate anything right now, it would go straight to my waist. I've been hovering around the 160 lbs. mark for the past three weekends. M--bless her heart--bought four (4) bags of Doritos last weekend: BBQ Cheddar, Fiery Habanero, Buffalo and Cool Ranch. Okay, actually, I told her that since I lost weight, it would be a nice reward to eat some Doritos while I watched the UCLA

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-56622545944030500342007-10-24T13:49:00.000-04:002007-11-09T13:50:27.480-05:00

Yesterday, I wrote about interpreting for Musubichan--protected post: Whonose, you are on my protected list. (If you re a regular reader and a subscriber, leave me a message telling me you want to be added. I think you have to be a Xanga member.)--but I moved the comment here. I had the chance to hone my interpreting skills. Musubichan had not watched Heroes last season, so we watched a few

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-21369957316628293922007-10-23T13:48:00.000-04:002007-11-09T13:48:55.365-05:00

The weekend was very busy. Every year, faculty must submit an individual Annual Report: What classes did you teach; Number of enrollment; What did you publish; What service did you provide; et cetera, et cetera. Well, I got my report back with a response from the new dean, who by all accounts is a good person. But my feedback was less that sparkling. She reminded me that I should pay heed to

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-25659701043347534252007-10-22T13:47:00.000-04:002007-11-09T13:48:09.019-05:00

There are times when you know you should not try to overreach. No, I don't mean to say that one shouldn't try new things. I am all for challenging yourself. But there are times when you must realize you limitations. Currently, I am teaching a buttload of classes, but I need to do research. My career depends on it. So I need to make time--stay away from Xanga (its not as though I've been spending

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-23957973291108535342007-10-20T13:46:00.000-04:002007-11-09T13:46:54.943-05:00

Everything I think about these days seems to be related to aging. Even the things I don't want to think about are age related. Like my memory. I used to drop gingko biloba regularly but stopped this past summer as I had concluded that it didn't really help me--I would forget to do what M told me to do, or I would not be able locate my baseball cap. What I hadn't counted on was that, perhaps, the

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-25043001773928728742007-10-19T13:45:00.000-04:002007-11-09T13:45:57.330-05:00

It's been a while since I've really posted more than a post or two. I am really surprised how much Xanga has changed! What is going on here. I was visiting some sites and noticed that many of them looked quite different. Then I realized that there's this "Theme" thing that helps design the Xanga site. The look of my site hasn't changed in quite a while. Indeed, it's been your basic white page

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-73287565207567574172007-10-16T13:43:00.000-04:002007-11-09T13:44:48.094-05:00

I realize that I haven't been posting. I get the feeling that I just don't have that much to say these days. Is it me? Is it my life? Actually, these are essentially the same, aren't they. In any event, as I stated over a month ago--that would be exactly two posts ago--I am trying to bring my energy level back up by exercising.I wrote previously that I have lost almost ten pounds. Well, I've

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-13499531333445066112007-10-14T00:16:00.000-04:002007-10-17T00:17:44.657-04:00

I leave campus a little after 7 PM most days, take the Metro train to the last stop on the Orange line and walk home from the station around 8 PM. I used to take a short cut that went past a parking structure, then beneath an overpass that finally led to a small community of townhouses that is just across the street from where I live. But about ten months ago, I began to notice the unmistakably

Onigirimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959873888827504381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-53379144070988402082007-09-11T00:15:00.000-04:002007-10-17T00:16:49.529-04:00

I am definitely reaching that age. And how old is that age? Well, I suppose that it is different for all of us, but I am referring to that age when you feel your age. Well, this past summer, I felt 51. FIFTY-ONE!It wasn't any one thing that made me feel my age. It was the accumulation of a lot of little things I think. Yes, time goes by much faster now. Yes, my knees have started to audibly

Onigirimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959873888827504381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-90935239267359891292007-08-31T00:13:00.000-04:002007-10-17T00:15:41.671-04:00

Holy moly! I just realize that I haven't written an entry in over a month. Heck, in a couple of days, it'll be two months. Are you fonder of me now? HeheheheheheOh well.... For those of you who care: I am not dead. I am alive and have spent perhaps the most unproductive summer of my life. Even in my youth when I did not produce anything, I at least read a book or two. Hmmmm. This is nothing to

Onigirimanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13959873888827504381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-51856531249121636452007-07-03T10:04:00.000-04:002007-07-03T10:05:22.949-04:00

It's nice to realize that the space time continuum is consistent and time is still relevant. Do you remember--or perhaps still experiencing--the difference in the speed of time? When you are waiting for the end of the Fall semester, October and November seem to go by so slowly. And yet, when Winter break arrives, it seems to end in the blink of an eye. Well, these days--and those of you working

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-47318267399350016332007-06-29T03:21:00.000-04:002007-06-30T03:21:47.201-04:00

Okay, I got my MacBook from school over a month ago, but I haven't written anything about it because I wanted to see if I could get used to it, get a feel for it. I don't want to make any rash or uninformed comments.Firstly, I have to admit that this Mac looks freakin' cool. And the 3D-like movement of windows and icons was rather mind-boggling at first: Deleted icons or files disappear in a puff

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-15258743068306697792007-06-28T13:14:00.001-04:002007-06-28T13:17:07.355-04:00

A little break from TY and UCLA.You know, I decided not to teach this summer. I could always use the money--especially with a 26 year-old step-son who still can't figure out what to do with his life, so he quits his job, moves out of his current living arrangement and comes from Japan for some R & R. When he returns in September he will be jobless and homeless. I'm waiting for him to ask me for a

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-40476212049113761422007-06-26T13:13:00.000-04:002007-06-28T13:16:10.309-04:00

Continued from the last post...TY came over my house for a BBQ on Sunday and I met him and one of his other friends for dinner on Monday. We had a very pleasant time reminiscing again, and I was happy to make a new acquaintance who seems to speak better Japanese than me. In any event, I know that TY is reading this, so I thought I should put in a disclaimer: Memory is subjective and fallible.

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-10746920532147413752007-06-25T13:12:00.000-04:002007-06-28T13:18:58.072-04:00

...Continued from yesterdayI've always considered myself a rather naive guy when it comes to women. I am forever infatuated with them. Up until the 9th or 10th grade, I would be convinced I was in love if a cute girl gave me the time of day. Of course, I could not fall for every girl, and the more women I met, the more I realized how many different kind of women there were. Good, bad,

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-23748675819276987752007-06-24T13:10:00.000-04:002007-06-28T13:19:42.576-04:00

sensei, have you disappeared from xanga? =(Posted 6/22/2007 10:57 PM by EnderSatomiNo, dear, I haven't disappeared from Xanga. Actually, I've been trying to do a number of things this summer, but I might be trying to do too many things at once, because I don't think I've accomplished anything yet. And June is soon coming to a close...Actually, I haven't written much on Xanga for the past year or

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-36951265291321627032007-06-09T13:09:00.000-04:002007-06-28T13:20:10.503-04:00

A couple of years ago, I went to a class reunion for my elementary/middle school class at Maryknoll, the former all -Japanese private school in Los Angeles. It was a pleasant get-together. I exchanged niceties with many of my former classmates and we exchanged email addreses and other miscellaneous contact info--including this blog--through a booklet of information distributed to everyone in

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-68612863436852379732007-05-19T13:09:00.000-04:002007-06-28T13:21:51.585-04:00

This is graduation weekend at school and I have a number of students graduating. I am, as usual, sad to see them leave, but I am also happy for them, for they advance on their road toward adulthood--new horizons, new challenges, more responsibility, health insurance premiums, credit card bills, student loan payments....Well, maybe I shouldn't be too happy...Anyway, pat yourself on the back, guys.

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-73272861065998188162007-05-17T13:08:00.000-04:002007-06-28T13:22:32.254-04:00

Students kill me. The good students are the easiest to deal with and digest. They come to class. More importantly, they come prepared. They never complain. These are usually the best students in class, because my classes are not very demanding--even my bungo class. The atmosphere is non-threatening, the grammar is explained in English, and the readings come with a wordlist. An extensive wordlist.

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-33561107780539927412007-05-14T13:07:00.000-04:002007-06-29T03:28:08.559-04:00

I enjoy teaching and try my best to make the material interesting and relevant, which is hard to do with literature. For the most part, I like to think I am successful. I get my share of compliments and sometimes I can actually feel my had swell. So I guess its a good thing to get shot down from time to time.Just the other day, a student came in to hand in her final exam--a take home--and she

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-66351699919419169312007-05-13T13:06:00.000-04:002007-06-29T03:29:33.554-04:00

So I'm grading... and grading... and grading...

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-23325912010249424172007-05-05T13:05:00.000-04:002007-06-29T03:28:55.937-04:00

We age in different ways: physically, mentally spiritually. Fortunately for me, I think I age a bit slower than many others. I don't know if it has to do with being Asian, or if it's because I chose a profession in which I am surrounded by younger people, or simply because I allow stressful situations to slide off my Teflon-coated teenage mentality. Still, while my aging rate may seem slower, I

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-40449513128841136482007-05-02T13:05:00.000-04:002007-06-28T13:21:16.089-04:00

Today was the last class of the semester. I have Final exams to give and grade next week, but I don't care what anyone says. I'm having a beer... As if I needed a legit reason to draw a pint.

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-15067793394088107912007-04-16T13:04:00.000-04:002007-06-29T03:30:55.627-04:00

There are moments in everyone's lives when it seems that everything is happening at once, when life seems to be so hectic that you just want to scream. So here goes...Aaaaaaargh!There, I think I feel better....In any event, there are a lot of things on my plate, but the stress I feel is partly self induced. Yes, I watch too much TV. My excuse for watching J-drama--I look for things I might use in

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-35382631798939333792007-04-06T13:04:00.000-04:002007-06-28T13:04:46.718-04:00

Will someone shoot me? I just wanna go to sleep....

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-2552814203152491742007-04-04T13:03:00.000-04:002007-06-29T03:30:14.188-04:00

Yes, we lost... to Florida... again... Last year, we lost in the National Championship game. This year in the semifinals. The game was last Saturday and it's taken me 4 days to recover. I'm so bummed. But we did receive some news from immigration concerning M's green card. Yeah, that fiasco/nightmare we have been living for the past two and a half years. I should have taken Sunjun's advice much,

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-25683362687728337292007-03-24T13:02:00.000-04:002007-06-29T03:34:51.213-04:00

On Thursday, I wondered if asparagus would make your pee smell. I didn't get a whole bunch of responses, maybe because it was too wierd of a question. Oh well. The pool of responses was too small to make any claims, but I did learn that it was just a guy thing as I had conjuctured. You live and learn. Thanks to those who shared their insights.Anyway, I got this comment as well.I'm just wondering

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-29792851365230665502007-03-22T13:01:00.000-04:002007-06-29T03:34:26.306-04:00

As usual, I have a lot of work to do this weekend. I have to read student reviews of Rashomon, directed by Kurosawa, as well as grade a batch of mid-terms that I gave the Thursday before spring break. That would be two weeks ago. Bad, bad, sensei! Of course, I will be tempted by extracurricular matters, but I will be strong. No drama, no drama, no drama. Oh yeah, UCLA is in the Sweet Sixteen of

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-12853452683478041152007-03-21T13:01:00.000-04:002007-06-29T03:33:57.210-04:00

Obviously, everyone's got my number. Yes, the answer was number 2. I would like to go see my daughter as often as possible, but that is difficult for me. Responsibilities to my immediate family compel to stay put. The only way I would go to Japan is to go as a family and, as you all know, M's passport and green card issue have yet to be resolved. Rest assured that if and when it is resolved, you

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9605707.post-61214803370796458672007-03-18T13:00:00.000-04:002007-06-29T03:33:22.145-04:00

Yes, spring break has come and gone, like the proverbial flash in the pan, the blink of an eye, a snap of the finger, a tongue in cheek... oops, wrong analogy. Anyway, I will be going back to school tomorrow and hear about all the wonderful places my students have been to--Miami, Key West, the Bahamas, Cancun. And I'll tell them that I got to go to Pentagon City, a nearby shopping mall. Of

おにぎりまんnoreply@blogger.com0